(NaturalNews) You've all heard the good news about resveratrol, commonly known as the "red wine nutrient." There's more to resveratrol than red wine, though, and it's helpful for far more than just preventing heart disease. It's also phenomenal for maintaining a healthy cholesterol balance and even supporting increased longevity.

As you'll see below in quotes from health experts about resveratrol, this "miracle" nutrient is also useful for preventing many types of cancer. As you read these quotes, pay special attention to any mention of phytoalexins, as this is a class of plant-based nutrients that you'll be hearing about much more in the future (as nutritional healing becomes more widely known).

If you want to acquire some resveratrol, there are lots of natural sources such as red wine or grape leaves (the leaves actually contain far more than the grapes themselves). The Chinese medicine herb hu zhang is also loaded with resveratrol.

Authors' Quotes on Resveratrol

Below, you'll find selected quotes from noted authors on the subject of Resveratrol. Feel free to quote these in your own work provided you give proper credit to both the original author quoted here and this NaturalNews page.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring phytoalexin produced by some higher plants in response to injury or fungal infection. Phytoalexins are chemical substances produced by plants as a defense against infection by pathogenic microorganisms, such as fungi. Alexin is from the Greek, meaning to ward off or to protect. Resveratrol may also have alexin-like activity for humans.- PDR for Nutritional Supplementsby Sheldon Saul Hendler and David Rorvik- Available on Amazon.com

Doctors Signorelli and Ghidoni single out resveratrol, a red wine molecule, for its unique ability to favorably control hundreds of genes at one time. Another biologist, referring to resveratrol's ability to switch hundreds of genes, says resveratrol exerts "a whiff that induces a biologically specific tsunami." Resveratrol's ability to influence many genes was demonstrated in a gene array experiment involving kidney cancer cells.- You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymoreby Bill Sardi- Available on Amazon.com

A series of laboratory experiments suggests that resveratrol inhibits the development of cancer in animals and prevents the progression of cancer. However, human research is still needed in this area. In another set of animal studies, resveratrol was shown to inhibit both the acute and chronic phases of inflammation.- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete Home Reference to Natural Medicineby Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC- Available on Amazon.com

The active ingredient of the grape extracts is a potent flavonoid called resveratrol. Italian researchers discovered something even more profound regarding the chemistry of resveratrol. They determined that this unique chemical revitalizes nerve cells. In fact, resveratrol induced portions of the nerves to regenerate, in other words, the nerves started growing again, a feat formerly deemed impossible. A reasonable conclusion is that resveratrol is a major protector of the genes, in other words, it prevents chromosome damage.- Dr. Cass Ingram's Lifesaving Curesby Dr. Cass Ingram- Available on Amazon.com

A partial estrogen receptor agonist itself, resveratrol is believed by some researchers to be an estrogen-receptor antagonist in the presence of estrogen, resulting in breast cancer inhibition. Finally, resveratrol has recently shown activity against herpes simplex vims types 1 and 2 in a dose-dependent manner. It appears to disrupt a critical early event in the viral reproduction cycle. - PDR for Nutritional Supplementsby Sheldon Saul Hendler and David Rorvik- Available on Amazon.com

Darakchasava, an ayurvedic herbal remedy, has as its principal ingredient Vitis vinifera L, and therefore, contains resveratrol. It is mainly used in ayurvedic medicine as a cardiotonic. Resveratrol, which is also known as trihydroxystilbene andstilbenetriol, exists in cis and raw stereoisomeric forms. Resveratrol is the parent molecule of a family of polymers called viniferins.- PDR for Nutritional Supplementsby Sheldon Saul Hendler and David Rorvik- Available on Amazon.com

Virtually every pathway for tumor growth and propagation is blocked by resveratrol. Researchers appear to have developed a consensus that low concentrations of resveratrol cannot only counteract tumor initiation but can inhibit tumor cell survival. Resveratrol targets the very machinery inside cells that promote tumor cell survival. It appears to be able to concentrate its action on tumor cells rather than healthy cells. Resveratrol has also has the ability to induce cancer cells, but not normal cells, to die off.- You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymoreby Bill Sardi- Available on Amazon.com

Another of the key components of grapes is resveratrol. Resveratrol belongs to a group of compounds called phytoalexins that plants produce in self-defense against environmental stressors, such as adverse weather or attack by insects or microorganisms. Resveratrol has been identified in more than seventy species of plants, including mulberries and peanuts, but the flesh of grapes is an especially good source. Resveratrol acts as an antioxidant and has also been shown to reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries.- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foodsby Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.- Available on Amazon.com

Grapes are a whole pharmacy of healthful nutrients, many of which are potentially life extending. Take resveratrol. Resveratrol is a compound found in red wine (and usually given the credit for red wine's health-promoting properties), and in the skins of grapes. Technically, if you want to know, resveratrol belongs to a class of compounds called phytoalexins, which are chemical substances produced by plants as a defense against attack by pathogenic microorganisms.- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Whyby Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.- Available on Amazon.com

An 8-ounce glass of red wine provides approximately 640 mcg of resveratrol, while a handful of peanuts provides about 73 mcg of resveratrol. Resveratrol supplements (often found in combination with grape extracts or other antioxidants) are generally taken in the amount of 200-600 mcg per day. This is far less than the amount used in animal studies to prevent cancer : equivalent to more than 500 mg (500,000 mcg) per day for an average-sized human.- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health ConditionsbyAlan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D., Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D.Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.- Available on Amazon.com

In test tube and animal studies, resveratrol decreased the "stickiness" of blood platelets and helped blood vessels remain open and flexible. A series of laboratory experiments suggested that resveratrol inhibits the development of cancer in animals and prevents the progression of cancer. In other animal studies, resveratrol was shown to be an effective anti-inflammatory agent. However, human research is still needed in all of these areas.- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditionsby Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D., Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D., Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.- Available on Amazon.com

Research highlights a number of resveratrol effects relevant to the cardiovascular system: Antioxidant, Inhibits peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), Reduces platelet aggregation. Resveratrol has also been shown to function as a cancer chemopreventiveagent. Such agents reduce the incidence of tumorigenesis by intervening at one or more of the stages of carcinogenesis. In research, resveratrol demonstrated chemopreventive activity in assays representing three major stages of carcinogenesis: initiation, promotion, and progression.- Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicineby David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG- Available on Amazon.com

Several plants, including grapevine, produce the stilbene-type phytoalexin resveratrol when attacked by pathogens. This compound appears to be one of the health-promoting factors of grapevine, which are associated with reduced risk of heart diseases (popularly known as "the French paradox") and long recognized by folk medicine. Clinical studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of resveratrol, isolated from red wine, on cardiovascular disease and confirmed the involvement of resveratrol in fighting arteriosclerosis and vascular tissue diseases.- Handbook of Medicinal Plantsby Amarjit S. Basra- Available on Amazon.com

Anderson Cancer Center reviewed dozens of studies on resveratrol and concluded that it exhibited anticancer properties against a wide range of tumor cells, including lymphoid and myeloid cancers, multiple myeloma, cancers of the breast, prostate, stomach, colon, pancreas, and thyroid, melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, ovarian, carcinoma, and cervical carcinoma. The researchers concluded that "resveratrol appears to exhibit therapeutic effects against cancer." Resveratrol may be one of the best antiaging substances around.- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Whyby Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.- Available on Amazon.com

Resveratrol is a compound produced by grapes in self-defense against environmental stressors, such as attack by insects or fungal infection. Organically grown grapes have been found to produce much higher amounts of resveratrol than conventionally grown grapes, which are already protected by treatment with man-made fungicides.- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foodsby Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.- Available on Amazon.com

This may also be why resveratrol has such powerful research showing it not only prevents cancer, but may actually be considered as a treatment. Resveratrol stops cancer in a variety of ways, from blocking estrogens and androgens to modulating genes. It has even shown a 30-71 percent ability to block bone metastasis. Resveratrol appears to moderate the body's detrimental inflammatory response to injury of the brain and spinal cord. It has also been shown to protect on many levels, including the antioxidant level, against heart and blood vessel disease.- Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and the Awakening of Kundaliniby Gabriel Cousens, M.D.- Available on Amazon.com

Pezzuto and colleagues were able to show that resveratrol was effective during all three phases of the cancer process: initiation, promotion, and progression. For example, resveratrol displayed antimutagenic and antioxidant activity, providing greater protection against DNA damage than vitamins C, E, or beta-carotene. UIC researchers showed that resveratrol restored glutathione levels, considered by some the most essential of antioxidants (Jang et al. 1999).- Disease Prevention and Treatmentby The Life Extension Editorial Staff- Available on Amazon.com

The second has been the discovery of a substance named resveratrol, a natural phytoalexin found in grapes, which may play a role in preventing heart attacks. Resveratrol appears also to inhibit cellular processes that are associated with tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. Most of the known vitamins and trace minerals are present in grapes. Resveratrol (which is related to another compound found in health food stores, quercetin) is found in wine at twice the level of grape juce.- Herbs Against Cancer: History and Controversyby Ralph W. Moss PhD- Available on Amazon.com

Other studies, in animals and in vitro, have shown that resveratrol can inhibit the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol and, more recently, that it can reduce smooth muscle cell proliferation, believed to be one of the requisites of atherogenesis, by 70-90%, in a dose-dependent pattern. Red wine extract and resveratrol have shown equally significant cardioprotective effects in animal models of myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury. Additional evidence suggests that resveratrol also has estrogenic effects that may also provide cardiovascular protection.- PDR for Nutritional Supplementsby Sheldon Saul Hendler and David Rorvik- Available on Amazon.com

Other researchers are impressed with the range of activity that resveratrol appears to have against cancer, and some believe that there may be even more powerful agents to be found in fruits and vegetables. Thomas W. Kensler of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health said that the resveratrol discovery "provides the scientific underpinnings" for studies that have found health benefits from grapes and wine. Grapeseed extract is a commercial grape formulation that does not contain resveratrol.- The Natural Pharmacist: Your Complete Guide to Reducing Cancer Riskby Richard Harkness- Available on Amazon.com

The large amount of resveratrol present in red wine is explained not only by the prolonged fermentation period of the grape (the grape juice that still contains the fruit's skins and seeds), during which the molecules are extracted from the skins and seeds, but also by the fact that the absence of oxygen in the bottle prevents the resveratrol from oxidizing. This is why raisins, also very rich in polyphenols, do not contain any resveratrol, which in their case is degraded by exposure to air and sunlight.- Foods that Fight Cancerby Richard Beliveau, Ph.D. and Denis Gingras, Ph.D.- Available on Amazon.com

Although the anti-cancer potential of red wine remains to be more clearly established, there is no doubt that this anti-cancer activity is in large part due to the presence of resveratrol. In fact, of all naturally occurring molecules possessing anti-cancer activity that have recently been studied, resveratrol commands a great deal of enthusiasm.- Foods that Fight Cancerby Richard Beliveau, Ph.D. and Denis Gingras, Ph.D.- Available on Amazon.com

Even more interesting from a nutritional point of view are recent results indicating that certain molecules of dietary origin, including quercetin and especially resveratrol, are very powerful sirtuin activators; it is this activation that may increase cell longevity. For example, the addition of resveratrol to a growth culture of single-celled organisms such as yeast increases cell lifespan by 80%. Generally, yeasts live for nineteen generations; adding resveratrol boosted life expectancy to a maximum of thirty-eight generations!- Foods that Fight Cancerby Richard Beliveau, Ph.D. and Denis Gingras, Ph.D.- Available on Amazon.com

Grapes, as well as many berries and some nuts, contain a phytoalexin component called resveratrol that has shown cancer chemo preventive activity. Resveratrol has been found to act as an antioxidant, antimutagen, and anti-inflammatory. It has also been shown to inhibit the development of breast cancer and induce antiprogression activity in human myelocytic leukemia. The highest levels of resveratrol (up to one hundred times more than grapes) are found in grape leaves.- Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatmentby Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine- Available on Amazon.com

Creasy's analysis of 30 types of wine found the most resveratrol in a red French Bordeaux and the least in a white Bordeaux.Dr. Creasy also found the anticoagulant in purple (but not white) grape juice. It takes about three times as much grape juice as red Bordeaux wine to get equal amounts of the compound, he figures. Table grapes, found in supermarkets, probably contain little of the substance because they are carefully cultivated to prevent fungal infections and blemishes. A pound of home-grown grapes, however, can have as much resveratrol as two cups of red wine, says Dr. Creasy.- Food Your Miracle Medicineby Jean Carper- Available on Amazon.com

The compound of most interest is resveratrol, a hydroxystilbene first isolated from the roots of the white hellebore (Veratrum album var. grandiflorum). Hydroxystilbenes are found in a variety of plants, many unrelated. They are a prominent component of many species of the Polygonaceae family (Rheum, Polygonum spp.) but the richest source is found in grape skins and red wine. Resveratol is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and antiallergy agent with demonstrated cancer-preventative activity (Cheong et al).- The Constituents of Medicinal Plants: An Introduction to the Chemistry and Therapeutics of Herbal Medicineby Andrew Pengelly- Available on Amazon.com

Grape skins contain resveratrol, a type of plant estrogen, also called a phytoestrogen. In your body resveratrol fights inflammation and prevents blood clots. Grape skins also contain the powerful flavonoid quercetin. It works as an antioxidant to prevent the low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol from building up in your artery walls and blocking blood flow to your heart and brain. It also stops your blood from turning sticky and clumping together. Blood moves through your arteries more easily, taking some of the pressure off your heart and reducing your risk of stroke.- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments)by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing- Available on Amazon.com

Red wine also has a number of phenolics, the most important being resveratrol and quercetin, which alter gene expression and enhance phenotypic expression to protect against blood clot formation as in heart disease. Resveratrol also has certain anti-aging qualities that are recently being touted to mimic the calorie restriction effect. However, red wine also has the downside of being alcohol. Alcohol does many things to disregulate and undermine healthy gene expression, particularly in the neurotransmitter systems, as well as other systems in the body.- Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and the Awakening of Kundaliniby Gabriel Cousens, M.D.- Available on Amazon.com

The skin of red grapes contains a compound called resveratrol, which has recently come into vogue. Several studies have shown that this polyphenic compound increases levels of an enzyme oxygenase that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may protect against neuronal cell dysfunction. Red wines are fermented with grape skins, allowing the wine to absorb greater amounts of resveratrol than white wines, which are fermented without grape skins. Thus, some nutritionists are recommending a little red for the head.- The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosisby Peter J. Whitehouse and Daniel George- Available on Amazon.com

Of late, considerable attention has been devoted by scientists to the antioxidant properties of red wine's phenolic constituent, resveratrol, as an important contributor. White wine contains much less of this antioxidant, and therefore it has fewer health benefits. Resveratrol, unfortunately is not in green tea. However, green tea may offer even greater potential for health protection, since it not only includes the flavonoids active in red wine but also includes even more powerfully protective flavonoids that are unique to it.- The Green Tea Bookby Lester A. Mitscher and Victoria Toews- Available on Amazon.com

One of the ways to activate sirtuin is through resveratrol, found in red wine. You get the health benefits of wine-lower LDL, more antioxidants the skin of the grape touches the seeds for at least three weeks. But in many of today's wines, that time is less than a week. Another factor: The smaller the grape and the more seeds it has, and the cooler the climate it grows in, the better. Knotweed (a Japanese plant) has forty times more resveratrol per pound than grapes do, and it grows everywhere (and makes a great apple pie).- You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warrantyby Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.- Available on Amazon.com

Peanuts also contain surprise components such as the flavonoid resveratrol and myoinositol. The myoinositol helps combat nerve damage and is anti-diabetic. Resveratrol is perhaps the most powerful naturally occurring anti-cancer substance known. The value of these unique naturally occurring substances in peanuts is notable. Researchers at the University of Alabama found that diabetics with nerve damage improved significantly simply by incorporating peanuts and other myoinositol-rich foods into the diet.- Dr. Cass Ingram's Lifesaving Curesby Dr. Cass Ingram- Available on Amazon.com

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